Further research.

Further research has lead me to think that when Dad was assigned to HMS Cochrane in October 1942 from the Nelson, whilst alongside in Rosyth, it was not for training or a shore base but a depot ship that was alongside permanently. It seems the HMS Cochrane I was the shore base and HMS Cochrane II was the accounting posting for spare bods. HMS Cochrane was designated as a Base depot ship, or sometimes know as a destroyer depot ship. She started out as the Booth Line passenger ship RMS Ambrose. She was built on the Tyne and delivered in October 1903. Her employment was from Liverpool to South America and especially the Amazon and Manaus. She was built for the rubber boom and carried 149 1^st Class and 330 steerage Class. She was 375’ x 48’ x 18’ draft. 4588grt and 2490 nrt and did 12 kts. An interesting story occurred in 1913 in the Mersey shipping channel off Hoylake. A council dump hopper barge BETA had just dumped her cargo of refuse when she collided with a fishing boat called FLEETWING. Beta was just rescuing 4 men from the water when the RMS Ambrose ran into her stern when inbound to Liverpool. If it wasn’t odd enough that there were two collisions like that, one of the twelve who lost their lives was an AB called A. Porter!

She was requisitioned in December 1914 by the Navy and converted into an armed merchant cruiser becoming AMC Ambrose. She joined the 10^th Cruiser Squadron whose task it was to guard the northern approaches from the Norwegian coast right out into the Atlantic. She was again converted to a submarine depot ship in 1915.  Her Grt increased to 6600t and her compliment was 238. In 1917 she was in Malta and in 1919 she was in Portsmouth. Then in 1927 she was in China as the depot ship for the 4^th Submarine Flotilla when the submarine Poseidon was sunk in collision with a Chinese ship and 4 men escaped using escape breathing equipment for the first time. Some sources then say she was later converted again into a depot ship for destroyers. 1932 found her on the reserve list and in 1936 she was not even on that list. She was obviously reprieved and in 1938 she had her name changed to HMS Cochrane and appears to have been the base depot ship at Rosyth throughout the war. She was scrapped in 1946.

HMS Ambrose. Submarine depot ship.

NOTES

1.   Dad’s serial number P/JX 252239. The P means he was from the Portsmouth Division. The J signifies that he was in the seaman or communications branch and the X means that he joined up after a big pay review in the early 1930’s

HMS Nelson, Operation Avalanche.

Early September was spent planning the next step in the move on Europe in ‘Operation Avalanche’, the Salerno Landings, a main aim of which was to secure the port of Naples for the Allies use.

Operation Avalanche, landings at Salerno.

7-Sep-43          Neslon leaves Malta at 1530 and by 2100 25 warships assemble to protect the invasion fleet. It was announced that Italy had surrendered but the official surrender had taken place on 3^rd September.

9-Sep-43          Operation Avalanche starts with landing by British Commandos and US Rangers on the northern beaches. They were to prevent German reinforcement from Naples by holding the mountain passes. They were largely unopposed. The fleet off shore had to suffer heavy air attack but there was no damage done to any vessel.

Loading 16” shell HMS Nelson. Note rope round base of shell to protect brass casing. Landed on the bogey for moving to the magazines

There was to be no initial bombardment to try to preserve the element of surprise. This was wasted as the Germans had fully anticipated that the landings in the toe of Italy by Montgomery’s 8^th Army were not the main battle. The British landings to the North were met with determined opposition and at the end of the day the bridgehead was not very deep. To the south the American first wave was met by loud speakers announcing ‘Come on in, and give up. We have you covered’. It was a Texan regiment’s first combat and with the announcement that Italy had surrendered they were expecting an easy landing, however they were badly mauled and did not advance. Naval bombardments were needed to assist both the American and British troops and by the end of the first day the bridgehead was about 7 miles deep. Nelson and the fleet were once again under very heavy air attack and Nelson got all her guns to bear, including fused HE shells from the 16” guns. The 4.7” AA guns fired 300 rounds each.

13-Sep-43        With the Allies failure to enlarge the beachhead and to effectively link up the British and American forces either side of the Sele River the Germans were able to launch an attack. Throughout the day the Germans advanced and made it to only a couple of miles from the beach when heavy naval gunfire was able to halt the counter offensive.

14-Sep-43        By the end of the day it was obvious that the German offensive had been halted and as Montgomery’s 8^th Army were now in contact with the Germans to the south their withdrawal started. Nelson was no longer needed and as the vessels offshore were suffering very heavy air attack she was withdrawn back to Malta.

15-Sep-43        Arrive back in Malta.

29-Sep-43        The official signing of the Italian Armistice took place in the Admiral’s Cabin aboard HMS Nelson.

Lord Gort, Governor of Malta, Air Chief Marshal Tedder, Marshal Badoglio, Lt. Gen Sir Noel Mason- MacFarlane, Governor of Gibraltar, General Eisenhower, General Alexander at the signing of the Italian Armistice aboard HMS Nelson in Malta on 29^th September 1943.

13-Oct-43        Admiral Willis strikes his flag and Rear Admiral A.W. La Bisset moves his flag from Rodney to Nelson.

18-Oct-43        Reassessments are made and as there is no longer a threat from the Italian and Vichy French Fleets it is felt that there is no longer a requirement for a  Flag Officer to be appointed to Force H and Rear Admiral Bisset strikes his flag and Force H is disbanded.

28-Oct-43        Nelson sails from Malta in company with Rodney and destroyer Offa, bound for Scapa Flow.

1-Nov-43         Nelson leaves Gibraltar along with the same vessels.

4-Nov-43         The group arrive in Scapa and rejoin the Home Fleet.

6-Nov-43         Nelson arrives in Rosyth for a short refit. Only essential work can be carried out as she has to be ready for sea quickly to counter the threat of the Scharnhorst and Tirpitz breaking out.

8-Nov-43         Dad leaves HMS Nelson to start Officer Training.